The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors that mount to electrical cables.
Electrical connectors have been used to interconnect coaxial cables. Coaxial cables are used in various radio frequency (RF) applications. In the automotive industry, for example, there is a demand for coaxial cables and connectors due in part to increased electrical devices within automobiles, such as AM/FM radios, cellular phones, GPS, satellite radios, wireless communication systems, and the like.
The production of coaxial cable connectors according to known methods is not without disadvantages, such as by involving a series of steps that may be difficult to automate, thus increasing costs and reducing production efficiency. For example, the assembly process of known coaxial cable connectors include cutting and stripping the coaxial cable; terminating a core of the cable to a center contact via a crimping or otherwise pressing process; loading the center contact and attached cable within a dielectric holder inside of an outer contact; preparing a shield layer of the cable to engage the outer contact; positioning a ferrule around the shield layer; and then crimping the ferrule to secure the cable to the outer contact and dielectric holder. Thus, the assembly process may include multiple pressing operations using different applicators that perform the pressing operations. A need remains for an electrical cable connector that is formed more efficiently by reducing the number of assembly steps, reducing the number of parts used in the assembly process, and/or increasing the suitability of the assembly process for automation.